Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sistersby Leslie M. M. Blume
Reading level: grades 5 and up
This story is not for everyone. If you are an avid reader who likes exotic adventures, then you will enjoy this story. Cornelia is the daughter of a famous concert pianist who seeks anonymity for herself. She finds her life filled with loneliness, especially when her mother is gone on tour. Cornelia goes out of her way to antagonize the housekeeper/guardian, Madame DesJardins, by using extraordinary vocabulary which most people would not understand. When a new neighbor moves into her building, Cornelia takes a liking to the woman because she, too, enjoys complicated words. Together, they share numerous afternoons sipping tea and immersing themselves into another time and place. The adventures of the Somerset sisters take their audience around the world and back. Cornelia becomes attached to the woman as a surrogate for her distant mother, and also acquires a canine friend, the woman’s French bulldog, Mister Kinyatta as an added bonus. The story has appeal in its storytelling elements and offers its readers a satisfying conclusion.
